In its efforts to provide app developers a platform to showcase their talent to a global audience, Vodafone has announced the launch of its annual AppStar contest for mobile app developers.

Vodafone AppStar is an global initiative by Vodafone to encourage local adoption of mobile internet by focusing on the developer ecosystem. The contest is not only aimed at benefiting the developer community but the platform will also bring the customers many unique local apps that generally get lost in the open market app stores.

AppStar contest will take place at two levels i.e. national and international level. At the national level developers would need to compete with the local developers, after which the winners from each country will compete with other selected teams from other countries at an international level.

At the country level for India specific contest, there are three categories in which one can participate – Best Game, Best Utility, Best Local Language App.

The national phase of the contest will run upto November 22 and the international round will be held in Nairobi, Kenya in December and the winners will be rewarded with the grand prize of USD 12K.

Click here to see the prize details of the winners at the National Level contest.

The contest is open for all the developers be it an established company, student, hobbyists or a freelancer who could develop apps on platforms – Blackberry,Android, J2ME, Windows Phone, iOS. The apps will be judged on the basis of quality, innovation, local relevance and international applicability.